THEME: Teaching portfolios – An interview
SDUUP has interviewed Associate Professor Anette Grønning, Media Science at the Department for the Study of Culture, about her experiences with writing the section on her teaching philosophy in the portfolio.
Katarina Winka and Åsa Ryegård (2019), who work with and write about teaching portfolios in Swedish universities, stated: “Your teaching philosophy is a personal matter and should not be based on what other people think or believe. Depart from your own knowledge and experiences and formulate and highlight what you believe in, and what your values as a teacher are. Pedagogical theories and pedagogical knowledge can sometimes be used to describe the teaching philosophy, but as a rule it is not an explicit requirement […..] there is no such thing as a wrong teaching philosophy, as long as it is not at odds with the values of society or the institution in question”.
We think that you, Anette, have included a section on your teaching philosophy in your teaching portfolio which is personal, authentic and well-reflected, so we are curious about how you approached the task.
How did you get started on writing your teaching philosophy in the teaching portfolio?
Anette: ”I wrote it in connection with my Lecturer Training Programme (LTP) in 2011. I do not remember if it was a requirement or just a coincidence. I was especially inspired by John Biggs and his research on teaching and the interaction between teacher and students.”
How did you choose the content in the description? Did you have a special outline?
Anette: ”I used a standard form that I got in connection with the LTP, and I was facilitated by the colleagues at SDU Centre for Teaching and Learning.”
How long time did it take you to write it?
Anette: ”I wrote it in connection with my LTP development project in 2011. I have spent time on updating it since then, but I have not changed my basic view. I reckon it takes around 2-5 hours to formulate something really good about yourself, since you know yourself best”.
What did you as a teacher gain from writing it?
Anette: ”It gave me the opportunity to reflect on and to write down what I think when I teach. It was nice to make the wording precise – it gave a certain clarity. I also use it to explain to students and other teachers what I stand for. Some people pretend that writing your ‘teaching philosophy’ is a big thing, but it is nice to have it down in writing. You can ask a colleague if it is difficult to get started, and you can also use your colleagues as sparring partners."
In the pedagogical literature you will find lots of inspiration to write you basic pedagogical view. You may for example want to read Schönwetter et al. (2002) or Dalton et al. (2018).
References
Dalton, C. L., Wilson, A., & Agius, S. (2018). Twelve tips on how to compile a medical educator’s portfolio. Medical Teacher, 40(2), 140-145. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1369502
Schönwetter, D. J., Sokal, L., Friesen, M., & Taylor, K. L. (2002). Teaching philosophies reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of teaching philosophy statements. International Journal for Academic Development, 7(1), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/13601440210156501
Winka, K., & Ryegård, Å. (2019). Pedagogisk portfölj - för karriär och utveckling. Studentlitteratur.